Since I came to the (paranoid?) conclusion that shredding things with my name, address and other personal information on them was important, I've gone through them at a faster clip than I'd like. The Royal Jaws was my fifth, and perhaps the least expensive of the bunch.

My logic? Why pay any more than I had to for one if it's not going to last more than a year or two anyhow!

Like other shredders for home and small office use, the Royal doesn't much care for heavy duty use, or trying to cram things down its throat that it wasn't designed for. But if you shred within its stated capacity, the unit performs as advertised.

Perhaps the only drawback is that the shredding mechanism in the Royal uses thin blades, akin to mini circular saws, versus the heavier toothy wheels of some other shredders. But in practice, while the latter seems stronger and more robust, in my experience they don't last any longer.

What I wish I had was a hefty shredder that would digest anything that dared be placed in its intake slot. (I'm thinking something with a 2-cycle gas powered engine, perhaps!) But as long as the typical shredder is destined to be a lightweight, regularly-replaced sort of affair, why spend more than you need to? Get this cost-effective Royal instead.